This blog is for Polk County Florida small farms and pesticide applicators as a method of communication and sharing information. This blog is administered by the University of Florida IFAS Extension Polk County Extension Agent, Mary Beth Henry.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Plant Management Network welcomes the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) as its latest partner. STMA is a not-for-profit, worldwide professional association for men and women who manage sports fields. Since 1981, STMA and its 34 local chapters comprising 2,800 members have been providing education and information, as well as sharing practical knowledge in the art and science of sports field management. Learn more about STMA. To learn more about partnership and its benefits to your organization, please contact partners@plantmanagementnetwork.org.

Now Featuring: Plant Disease Management Reports

Plant Disease Management Reports (PDMR) are an excellent resource for any individuals involved with crop disease management. They can potentially save users and their clients thousands of dollars. PDMR provides short, one-page trial reports evaluating various fungicides, nematicides, biological controls, and cultural practices used over the past 12 years through today. These 6,800 peer-reviewed university trials evaluate a product's ability to control plant diseases on the crops they're labeled for. They cover nearly 200 host crops, including various fruits, vegetables, nuts, turfgrasses, grain crops, and legumes. Learn more about this invaluable resource in this 11-minute webcast by Dr. Gerald Holmes, Product Development Manager at Valent U.S.A.

Acknowledgement of 2011 Reviewers

Plant Management Network staff and the editors of PMN's peer-reviewed journals − Applied Turfgrass Science, Crop Management, Forage and Grazinglands, and Plant Health Progress − would like to recognize and thank the more than 320 reviewers who have helped to ensure we publish quality, science-based information for researchers and practitioners. View list.

Focus on Tomato Launch Update

Thanks in great part to our sponsors, the Plant Management Network will be adding Focus on Tomato, to its family of webcast resources in early April. Focus on Tomato's latest webcasts will soon be unveiled to vegetable commodity groups, university tomato specialists, various member-based societies, and the media. PMN Update subscribers are invited to preview of one the three new webcasts to be unveiled during this launch: "Pre-harvest Food Safety Practices for Tomato" by Dr. Jeri Barak at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Root-Knot Nematode Management Featured in Focus on Soybean Webcast

Root-knot nematodes are a major economic pest in soybeans in the southern U.S. The latest Focus on Soybean presentation by Dr. Terry Kirkpatrick, professor at the University of Arkansas Southwest Research and Extension Center, discusses the latest management strategies of this pest, including resistant soybean cultivars, rotating to poor or non-host crops periodically, and the application of nematicides. Kirkpatrick also discusses various factors, including soil type, soybean cultivar, and nematode population density, and their influence on yield loss potential. View presentation.

Focus on Corn Webcast Discusses Corn-Alfalfa Rotations

Rotating alfalfa with corn can increase corn yield potential due to various factors. In this latest Focus on Corn presentation, titled "Nitrogen Management for First-year Corn After Alfalfa" Dr. Jeff Coulter at the University of Minnesota helps viewers understand factors that affect the response of first-year corn to fertilizer N. He also addresses related issues such as alfalfa termination timing, alfalfa regrowth prior to termination, and side-dressing of nitrogen.

Sugar Management is Latest Topic Covered in Focus on Potato

Sugar management is an important factor for potato crops. In this month's Focus on Potato presentation, titled "Sugar Management in Storage," Dr. AJ Bussan from the University of Wisconsin guides viewers through sugar management of tubers during various stages of crop management and storage. This talk offers guidance on in-season practices, best practices and timing during potato harvest, preconditioning in storage, and storage management.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

The WPS TTT workshop provides CEUs in several categories. Even if you don’t need to be WPS certified, don’t miss this opportunity for CEUs. CEUs available: 2 in the following categories: Aerial, Ag. Row, Ag. Tree, O&T, Private, Forest Pest Control, and Soil and Greenhouse Fumigation.

Need to become a WPS certified Trainer?

The Worker Protection Standard (WPS) is a federal program designed to protect agricultural farm workers in the production of agricultural plants. A person is qualified to teach WPS to farm workers if he/she holds a restricted use pesticide license or if he/she has completed the WPS Train the trainer course. Once a person has completed the course he/she is certified for life.

May 17: Core and Private Applicator Exam Training: Thursday May 17, Core 9am-11am, Private 11am-1pm, Manatee County Extension Service. Can be taken for exam preparation or CEUs for current license holders. CEU’s available are: 2 in Core for Core class, 2 in Private Applicator for Private class.

Monday, March 26, 2012

We are offering the palm management training program again here at the FLREC on May 8-9 (Tuesday and Wednesday). Please distribute the attached announcement as you see fit to your clientele group. We had a large waiting list for the Feb. program, and have about 15 who are already enrolled in the May class.

Note that we have obtained CLEs for landscape architects, which is a new group that we hope to interact with more. If you have any questions, please contact me.

Hi, my name is Jan Pence, with Florida Fields to Forks, a CSA program in Malabar, FL. We represent over 140 members. We have had a request for pasture raised, antibiotic and hormone free goat meat and I am looking for some sources in or around Ocala area. We have our cows, chickens, lamb, etc. processed inSummerfield at South Marion Meats and are working with Gary there. Can you please contact me with any helpful information of goat farmers that may be interested in selling their goats live to be processed? My number is 321-431-7259. Thank you and I will look forward to hearing back from you. Jan Pence

Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) are being trapped all over the state at this time. It is imperative growers understand the significance of this pest. It will most likely not show up until the fruit is in the packing house or even later. Rejected fruit is usually an expense for the grower. A good spray program is essential to avoid expensive problems in the future. The most recent newsletter listed three insecticides to use to prevent major SWD outbreaks. As picking frequency increases pay close attention to REI and PHI times.

In Polk County we are still not picking daily. Labor appears to be adequate as strawberry season has ended. So far spring high, spring wide, scintilla, flicker, and primmadonna have been the bulk of our harvest. Some jewels and a few emeralds but they are taking their sweet time. I have been very surprised at how slowly the crop is ripening especially as I look at the thermometer right now and it's 88 degreees. I had expected to be in full swing by now but we just aren't there, maybe next week. The other thing I am noticing here in central Florida is the lack of fruit. In some areas where we have picked over the jewels a couples of times the plants look very thin with fruit. I still believe the lack of chill and hydrogen cyanamide damage has played a significant role in reducing our voulme in this part of the state. Without a crop estimate starting point it is very difficult to make an accurate guess at how much and when.

The USDA AMS has begun tracking Florida production. I am asking all marketers to cooperate with the USDA and report voulmes, prices, and pack sizes so they can give us a clear picture of what we have produced and where the prices are trending. This information is confidential and compiled as a tool for marketing blueberries. It is my belief that the retail industry has become very good at playing our marketers against each other to the detriment of our farm income. Just look at the radical price fluctuations we experience every season. I would think that honest and accurate crop reporting to the USDA would help alleviate some of the huge price swings. I urge all growers to contact their marketers and ask them to please provide this information to the USDA. I know most marketers are very stingy with this information but I don't see it doing them any good. Every year it's the same thing marketer A tells his growers marketer B was the first to drop prices.

Speaking of prices I would be interested in hearing from farmers on what they are hearing about current sales prices and pack sizes. I've been told this past week most sales were in the $8 plus per pound range before packing and marketing expenses. Most packages were 125 gram and 150 grams. Fruit from Chile continues to come in adding downward pressure on our pricing and most Chilean fruit is being sold in the $4 per pound range. With the low volume of fruit coming off the bush I would expect prices to remain above $7 per pound. Even as volume increases we are going into Easter and consumtion should increase. The best thing we as farmers can do to help ourselves is to keep your marketer informed on you anticipated production. We need to avoid the "Chicken Little" effect.

Cedar waxwings seem to be everywhere. If you have an especially high number I would like to hear from you. The recently adopted Best Management Practices for Specialty Crops covers the proper techniques for using propane cannons.

The Florida Blueberry Festival is just around the corner, May 4,5,6. If you want to get involved please contact them through their website at www.floridablueberryfestival.org This is an excellent opportunity to sell end of the season fruit. Billboards, television and radio ads are beginnng in the next few days. I am expecting the event to be a big success. Over $300,000 has been raised for promotion and advertising.

That's it for this week. If you want to contact me please email me at flbbga@gmail.com

Registration for the 2012 Florida Sod Growers Cooperative Field Day is underway! Over the coming weeks, I'll be sending updates, reminders, and some special notices about this year's event. Make plans now to attend some or all of the events for excellent learning opportunities, networking, and to support the association through our major fundraiser. Better yet - bring a friend or recommend us to one of your vendors!

Special Session with Water Management District Directors Set for April 26

The state's water management districts have undergone significant changes over the past year, including weathering daunting budget cuts and welcoming new leadership. Because the activity of the water management districts have a tremendous impact on agricultural operations and businesses, the FSGC has coordinated a special session, Changes and Challenges - Perspectives on the State's Water Management Districts from 4:00 - 5:00 PM on Thursday, April 26 at the Holiday Inn in Lake Buena Vista to provide an opportunity to meet these new leaders.

Hans G. Tanzler III, executive director of the St. Johns River Water Management District, Melissa Meeker, executive director of the South Florida Water Management District, and Blake Guillory, executive director of the Southwest Florida Water Management District will each share their perspective on the challenges their District is facing, the changes they envision going forward, and what issues and changes are most likely to impact agricultural operations.

The schedules of these directors are always jam-packed, and I'm very grateful that they've all arranged and re-arranged to be with us. It's both a tremendous recognition of our industry and a tremendous opportunity for us to "put a face" on our industry and our businesses. I truly urge you to attend this session to learn more about what may be on the horizon in your area.

Because this is such a critical area, the FSGC is offering admission to this session only at no cost to our members (a $5 self-parking fee will apply for all meeting guests). Registration in advance is required for this meeting. The full seminar session is only $25 - a great value - so I hope you'll consider attending for the entire afternoon!

Book Your Reservations by April 4 at the

Holiday Inn, Lake Buena Vista

This year's host hotel is the Holiday Inn in Walt Disney World, located on Hotel Plaza Boulevard in Lake Buena Vista near Downtown Disney (just off I-4). The Thursday morning meetings, seminars and evening reception and dinner will all be held in this location.

This property was completely rebuilt after sustaining significant hurricane damage several years ago and now boasts spacious, attractive rooms with great amenities. Parking is convenient (just $5 per day for self parking) and the group rate of just $99 per night plus

tax (no resort fee) can't be beat! Our room block is very limited for Wednesday and Thursday nights (April 25 and 26), so be sure to

book by Wednesday, April 4.

Use the group code FSG when booking online at www.hiorlando.com or call 1-877-934-5765; the group rate cannot be guaranteed after the April 4 deadline.